Avon wants to take charge of I-90 building plans

AVON -- Now that John Kasich is governor-elect, Avon Mayor Jim Smith thinks it's time for a change with how and who will build the city's Lear Nagel Road/Interstate 90 interchange.

A couple days after the election, Smith wrote to Kasich and said the city should be responsible for the building of the interchange, not the Ohio Department of Transportation.

"I sent him a request to let us do it ourselves because that's how projects in the city have run previously," Smith said. "Since it's our project, we should be at the head."

The city's engineering partner for the interchange is Trans Systems, of Cleveland. The firm has told Smith the city could cut eight-and-a-half weeks off construction time and save at least a half million dollars by overseeing the project.

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"We have a good track record for getting things done on time and under budgets," Smith said. "We can run it as well as ODOT could run it."

When the project started in 2003, it was planned to be locally run and completed. Under Gov. Ted Strickland, cities and municipalities lost the ability to control their own highway projects, Smith said. He said he hopes Kasich will give them back the reins.

If the city did gain control, it would go out for bid to find a contractor, city employees would oversee the projects and it would be completed within ODOT's requirements, said Planning Coordinator Jim Piazza.

"Your boss would be right around the corner," Piazza said. "Not miles away in Ashland (where the ODOT district office is located)."

Smith, Piazza and Service Director Gerald Plas agree the city is more than qualified to handle this project on its own.

"There's no reason we should have anyone else do it when we're paying for it," Smith said. "There's no federal or state money involved. It's all us."

At last night's City Council meeting, members added two more property owners to a list of owners who will face eminent domain if a payment settlement for interchange property is not reached. This brings the total number of properties to 14. The first 12 were passed at a council meeting last week.

The land appropriation project started in July, City Law Director John Gasior said, and each property was appraised two to three times by different appraisers.

Negotiators then went in and offered a price which was either accepted or negotiated. The city needs to acquire 29 parcels and has acquired 17. The properties are all vacant land. Now, letters will be sent to each property owner warning them that in 30 days the city will file legal action in Lorain County Common Pleas Court so the court can determine the price of the land, Gasior said.

Added to the list last night were Westlake Auto Body and Lorain County Vacant Land LLC. They are offered anywhere between $4,800 to $1.2 million.

Also at last night's meeting, Smith said Ross Builders, of North Ridgeville, was awarded the bid for the outside renovation of the building at Avon Isle. Phase 1 of the project will be funded by a grant from Northeast Ohio Public Energy Commission and will include exterior waterproofing and making the building more energy efficient. It does not include renovating the interior, Smith said.

Ross Builders hopes to begin the project immediately, and a representative at the meeting estimated it would take about three months to complete, depending on the weather.